History

The Waterloo Cycling Club was conceived in 1967, the year of Expo Montreal.

After a 13 year layoff from competitive cycling due to my emigration from the UK and raising a family, my interest was piqued by a number of cycling magazines at Expo’s French Pavilion.

Through enquiries at the local bike stores (McPhail’s, Orval Dorsch’s & Braun’s) I made contact with an expatriated Irishman who had raced in Ireland and we rode together for the balance of the year.

In 1968 we officially became a club and affiliated with the CCA (no OCA at that time).

We contacted both grade schools and high schools publicizing the fact that we were a new club looking for riders. Since competitive cycling was virtually unheard of by the youth of the day it was a major achievement that we persuaded 6 or 7 youngsters to get decent bikes and ride regularly with the club. Once the word got out that a club existed, we had several older riders join, most of them having ridden and raced in their country of birth before coming to Canada.

During the peak years, mid 70’s to late 80’s the club had around 45 members, most of them competing in CCA/OCA events every weekend. I can recall many races where the WCC had 8 or 10 Juniors and about the same number of Seniors on the line in races at Springbank, Delhi, Guelph, Woodstock, Hamilton, etc.

In the early years the Club held annual CCA/OCA sanctioned races using road circuits at Winterbourne, St Clements, Marsland Drive-Lexington Road-University Ave (before the expressway was built). We held a criterium in Uptown Waterloo in conjunction with Octoberfest for 8 consecutive years. Dave Hobson, Leigh’s dad, was the prime mover in this venture. This event was won by riders such as Steve Bauer, Gord Singleton and Jocelyn Lovell. I won the Masters event (Vets in those days) twice. We also ran sanctioned Criteriums at Conestoga and Fairview Mall’s (before Sunday shopping).

We also raced road bikes on the running track at the Kitchener Aud (when it was asphalt, pre rubberizing) on several occasions, at soccer game half-times to promote the club.